Dream a Little Dream
by Faith Alana Alastair
Summary: This is not, strictly speaking, a crossover, as this is completely off-canon for either show. This is derived from an online Livejournal Roleplaying Game, Millieux Ecole. This is a one-shot offshoot of the canon of that game.


TITLE: Dream a Little Dream

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: Genius: (gen-yüs) n: Someone who is the best in their field; Someone who has knowledge beyond the comprehension of his peers; Joss Whedon Also J. Michael Straczynski, while not God, is pretty damn close.

FANDOM: Faith's from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the rest is from Babylon 5. Also, Milieux Ecole the LJ game, for anyone who even knows what that is.

PAIRING: Faith/Ivanova

RATING: PG

SUMMARY/PROMPT: Ivanova has dreams… but are they?

SPOILERS: None, unless you've never watched B5 at all.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: As I said, this spins out of the Livejournal pan-fandom rpg, Milieux Ecole. None of this is canon for either verse, just for Milieux.

FEEDBACK: Always!

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

Captain Ivanova stood at her post in C&C, looking out at the stars, when her communicator beeped. "Garibaldi to Ivanova."

"Ivanova, go ahead."

"I have a new recruit here, I need your authorization on the paperwork."

"I'll be right there."

She took a last look, and spun on her heel, heading for the corridor.

A couple of minutes later, Ivanova strode into Garibaldi's office, coming face to face with a woman about her age, and her height, wearing a grey suit. "Chief? You don't need my authorization for security."

Garibaldi smiled. "No, but I thought you'd want to meet this one. Paperwork says her name's Faith Ivanova."

Ivanova's eyes widened. "Let me see those." She grabbed for the data reader, and looked at the identicard inside. "Hell. It does say that." She looked at the woman carefully, something familiar sparking a long-forgotten memory. She ran her hand over her pulled back hair, and took a deep breath. "Shit, Chief, I have some things I need to take care of, everything checks out? She's all ready to go to work?"

Garibaldi nodded. "She is."

Ivanova nodded back. "Fine, then you have my authorization, I'll meet with you in an hour or so." She turned and walked out without another word.

An hour later, Ivanova sat in the chair opposite Garibaldi's in his office. "I dunno, Michael. Something about her seems familiar, but I'm not really sure what."

Garibaldi took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe she's a long-lost cousin or something? Surely the name Ivanova's not all that uncommon in Russia."

"That's just it. My name's Ivanova. My father's, and my family's, is Ivanov." She got up and began pacing. "And she doesn't look Russian. Or Jewish." Ivanova stopped cold, her eyes far away. "Maybe..no."

Garibaldi sat up. "What is it, Susan? Do you remember something?"

Ivanova paused. "Maybe…" she trailed off, and sat down, defeated. "I used to have these dreams, that I was living on Earth, back in the early 21st century. Isn't that crazy?" She laughed. "I was involved with a woman, named Faith." She shrugged. "Her last name wasn't Ivanova, though, in fact, I don't think I ever found out what her last name was."

Garibaldi nodded. "Maybe they weren't dreams? I know the Minbari talk about past lives and such."

Ivanova shrugged. "I'd say it's more a possibility that this is a strange coincidence, and I'll try and get the family records from Earth tomorrow morning."

"Well, whatever it is, she managed to break up a Drazi brawl an hour into her job. Without being hurt," he added, clearly impressed.

Ivanova's eyes widened. She remembered her own experiences trying to break up a Drazi encounter, and the broken bones she'd suffered. "Interesting." She stood with a deep breath. "Well, I'll get back to you later, I need to go check on something."

Garibaldi waved as she walked out.

Ivanova paced her quarters, wracking her brain, a glass of vodka in her hand. Her door alarm chirped, and she called out, "Yes?!"

Delenn walked into the room, as always serene, and said quietly, "You asked to see me, Captain Ivanova?"

Ivanova turned, and nodded, indicating a seat. "Please, Ambassador, sit down. I need to ask you something."

Delenn sat in the seat Ivanova offered and inclined her head. "I will attempt to answer any of your questions I am able to." She smiled. "What do you wish to ask?"

Ivanova sat opposite her and took a deep breath, blowing it out noisily. "I've had a series of dreams, in the past, in which I was involved with a woman who I cared very deeply for. This morning, Chief Garibaldi called me into his office, where he had a new recruit, named Faith Ivanova. Ambassador, she looked just like the woman from those dreams."

Delenn nodded. "I see your dilemma, Captain. You are certain these were simply dreams?"

Ivanova shrugged. "That's just the problem, Ambassador. I can't be certain of anything now. Except that I checked, and there's no record in my entire family tree of a woman named Faith." She stood and tipped her glass, the last of the liquid sliding easily down her throat.

Delenn nodded. "I see. Have you tried speaking to this woman? It is possible she could shed some light on the subject that someone else could not."

Ivanova sighed. She wasn't sure why, but she hadn't really wanted to converse with Faith just yet. "I suppose I'll have to."

Delenn fixed Ivanova with a sympathetic gaze. "I am sure that whatever hidden meaning this all has for you Captain, will be made clear in time. So many things are."

Ivanova sat in the Zocalo, a glass of vodka in front of her, waiting for Faith to arrive. "You wanted to see me Captain?" Faith took a seat next to her at the bar.

"Yes, thank you." Ivanova turned to her. "Can I ask you a rather personal question?"

Faith looked at Ivanova, face clear. "Of course, Captain."

Ivanova took a deep breath. "How did you come by the name Ivanova?"

Faith shrugged. "To be honest, in a courtroom."

Ivanova stared at her. "You changed your name to it?" She asked quietly but incredulously.

Faith swallowed, and nodded. "I did."

Ivanova wasn't prepared for that answer. Images from her dreams began swirling around her mind when Faith's com chirped. "Welch to Iva…Faith Ivanova."

Faith raised her hand to her mouth. "Faith here."

"There's a fight in the bazaar. Two humans and a Narn."

Faith looked at Ivanova. "Captain?"

Ivanova nodded. "Go." She got up and followed Faith, breaking into a run to match the other woman's fast stride. Emerging into the bazaar, Ivanova watched as Faith leaped between the three men, pushing hard on one of the human males' chest, and sending him flying.

She then got between the other two and held them apart easily. "Enough, boys." She pushed the human into Garibaldi's waiting arms, pulling the Narn towards her, spinning him around and pushing him forward. "Maybe y'all can explain this little argument in custody?" She twisted her head around. "Can we finish the conversation later, Captain?"

Ivanova simply nodded, absorbing what she'd seen. It wasn't easy to manhandle a Narn, yet Faith had done it with ease, and sent the human being flying. She turned to walk away, and came face to face with G'Kar. "Captain, I think perhaps we'd better have a word?" He fixed her with a look. "I have some information you might find enlightening."

Ivanova nodded, holding a hand out. "The conference room?" G'Kar nodded. They made their way there, and once inside, G'Kar took out his book of G'Quan.

"The new security officer, Ivanova. You have met her, yes?" G'Kar asked innocently.

Ivanova just nodded. "I have." After all these years, she knew better than to give out more information than necessary to any of the Ambassadors.

G'Kar opened his book. "G'Quan wrote of a being once, who had the power to fight the Shadows."

Ivanova's eyes widened a bit, but she simply nodded. "Go on."

G'kar placed the book down in front of Ivanova, and pointed to a passage. "I realize you cannot read it, but it is very clear. The being is to be from another race, one not as advanced, and be of lowborn caste." He raised up again and began pacing. "I believe G'Quan meant humans, and possibly one like her." He stopped, looked at her, and resumed his thoughts. "I thought at first it could mean Garibaldi, or even someone we hadn't met yet, but then I re-read the passage, and G'Quan is very clear. The being is to be female. He goes on to say that it is not an immortal being, but that the power is transferred, upon death, to another who is worthy. And it is always female."

Ivanova's dreams came back to her again in a rush. "What is this…being, called?" She silently prayed to God, but whether she asked for denial or confirmation, she wasn't sure.

"The being, according to G'Quan, is called the Slayer." G'Kar stopped pacing, and picked up his book. "After observing this Officer Ivanova for the past two days, I am of the belief that she may be this… Slayer.

Ivanova felt sick. "Thank you Ambassador G'Kar. I'll have to get back to you on this." She stood up quickly.

G'Kar nodded. "Of course." He turned to leave, and stopped just inside the door. "One more thing, Captain. Apparently the Narn are not the only race in the galaxy to have such a legend. Good day." With that, he walked out of the room.

Ivanova sat down hard, and put a hand to her head. She couldn't believe this was happening. Had someone gone into her mind? Planted the dreams? Or were they false memories? Past lives? Ivanova wracked her brain, trying to think of someone she could speak to candidly about this, someone she trusted. The only ones she'd ever felt close to, betrayed her. Except the woman in her dreams. Over and over, Ivanova would dream of that place in America, on Earth. Over and over, Ivanova would dream of that woman, of… Faith, and Faith had never betrayed her, had stood by her side, through whatever they'd faced. She made her decision, hard as it was. Raising her com to her mouth, she spoke. "Ivanova to Ivanova."

"Yes Captain?"

"Meet me in my quarters at your earliest convenience, please?"

"Confirmed. Faith out."

Ivanova stepped out of the shower, and dressed, putting on her uniform pants and shirt, her jacket hanging on the back of a chair. She settled on the couch, watching the news briefings on her screen, when the door chirped.

"Yes?" Ivanova called out, then turned. "Screen off."

Faith stepped into the room. "You asked to see me, Captain?"

Ivanova nodded. "Please, sit down. I have to ask you something that might seem rather… odd."

Faith sat, perched on the front portion of the chair, her head cocked slightly to one side. "Yes Captain?"

Ivanova sighed. "Stop calling me that."

"Excuse me?" Faith's brow furrowed, and she looked at Ivanova in confusion.

"If you could address me in any manner, without rank or consequences, what would you call me?"

Faith's gaze cleared. "I dunno. I...er, well…" She cleared her throat. "Without rank or consequence, I'd probably call you Susan." She shook her head. "No, that doesn't feel right. Ivanova, I'd probably call you Ivanova. Or…'S'."

"Ivanova nodded. "What made you change your name?"

Faith paled. "Well, to be honest, It was an agreement that was made."

Ivanova's stare bore into Faith. "Between whom? Who made the agreement?!" She was past patience now.

"We did, S." Faith looked like she was about to cry, but held her composure. "You and me." She took a deep breath. I knew you wouldn't remember. Just say the word and I'm gone."

Ivanova stood up, and ran a hand over her head, smoothing her hair, pulled back into it's customary ponytail. "When did we make this agreement?"

"When we were in high school." Faith stood up. She held out a small, silver Earthforce symbol. "When I had this made for you."

Ivanova stared at it, and sat down hard, reaching out for it. Faith released it into Ivanova's grasp, and Ivanova's eyes glazed, while she willed herself not to cry. "They weren't dreams, were they?"

Faith shook her head. "No, S, they weren't." She sat next to Ivanova, barely a breath between them. She reached out to touch Ivanova, placing her hand ghostly on the captain's shoulder. "It happened, every moment. Until the day some alien came and told you it was time to go. He said you wouldn't remember, and if you did, it would be dreams. It killed me to lose you."

She took a breath and went on. "I went back to slaying then, and about three years later, the same alien found me in a motel in Ohio. He told me I was needed. He told me I needed to fight the darkness in the future. I'd changed my name to Ivanova right after you left, before you went you asked me to. You said if we ever saw each other again, you wanted to be sure it was the right me, from the right time and place."

Ivanova looked down at the symbol, running her fingers gently over it's worn surface. "Where did he take you?"

"Not where, S. When. He took me to Earth, about 5 years ago now. Gave me the paperwork I needed to enlist, and well, I always told you I'd wear a grey suit one day." She half-smiled. "I worked my way up, till I was offered a position here. I jumped on it. I thought you wouldn't remember me, like he'd said, but I jumped at the chance to serve under you anyway. The rest, you know."

Ivanova looked up, into Faith's eyes, the tears beginning to fall in spite of her. "Tell me something. If it's all real, all of it, tell me something only I would know."

Faith grinned. "I know that there's nothing like having you at my back on a 1981 Harley Davidson." She rubbed Ivanova's shoulder. "I know that we both came through Anya's spell okay, I know that Nadia's got one of the nicest voices I ever heard." She looked at her. "Should I go on?"

Ivanova looked doubtful. "Those could have come from a scan of my dreams."

Faith nodded. "I know the names you would whisper in your sleep. I know they came from here. I know that you hate people being in your mind more than anything else." Faith dropped her voice low. "And I know that part of me, has been in there anyway. I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize enough for that first night, but I'll always try."

Ivanova's mouth quirked. "God, Faith, it really was real, wasn't it?" She slipped her arms around Faith, and held her tight. "Do you know how hard I prayed?"

Faith nodded in her embrace. "Yeah, I think I probably do." She pulled back a little. "Will you still be my girlfriend?" She asked hopefully.

Ivanova nodded. "Shadows couldn't stop me." She cleared her throat, and wiped her eyes quickly. "And the official story, is that during one of those periods when I was away from B5, you and I got married, and I lost my memory." She put her head on Faith's shoulder, then popped it back up. "You do know that's possible now, right?"

Faith's eyes went wide. "I figured by now, but…S, are you…"

Ivanova laughed. "Shut up and say yes."

Faith began to cry, wiping her face just as quickly as the other woman had. "I love you, Susan," she said, nodding.

Ivanova smirked. "I know." Faith's face fell for an instant. "And I love you too."


End file.
